WO 2009/143999 A1 discloses a fitting system for a vehicle seat. The fitting system serves for connecting a back rest of the vehicle seat to a seat substructure of the vehicle seat and permits the angle of inclination of the back rest to be adjusted within an angular range of possible use positions and the back rest to be freely pivoted, in order, for example, to facilitate access to a rear seat row. The fitting system comprises a first fitting which has a driver, which is rotatable about a back rest axis of rotation, for unlocking purposes, a second fitting, a transmission element, which is designed as a shaft, between the two fittings, a free-pivoting device assigned to the second fitting, a first operating element, upon the actuation of which the two fittings unlock with the use of the transmission element, and a second operating element, upon the actuation of which the first fitting and the free-pivoting device unlock. The driver of the first fitting accommodates the transmission element-which is coupled thereto for carrying along therewith, wherein an empty travel is provided in one direction of rotation between the driver and the transmission element.
In the case of vehicle seats with a back rest, a seat substructure, a free-pivoting device and with fittings of a fitting system that are designed as discontinuous latching fittings, arrangements are known in which a classic latching fitting is used on a first outer side of the vehicle seat and a latching fitting, supplemented by a free-pivoting function, is used on the second outer side of the vehicle seat. While the two latching fittings are opened in order to adjust an angle of inclination of the back rest within an angular range of possible use positions of the back rest and are closed again after the desired angle is fixed, in order to freely pivot the back rest only the free-pivoting device and the latching fitting located on the outer side of the vehicle seat that faces away from the free-pivoting device is opened. By this means, the latching fitting on the side assigned to the free-pivoting device remains in its set use position, and therefore the latter is automatically set again after the pivoting-back action.
In the case of vehicle seats which are known from the prior art and have such fitting systems, a second operating element, which is fastened to the back rest and firstly acts directly on a part of the free-pivoting device that is likewise arranged on the back rest and secondly has to be transferred to a fitting unlocking means, which is generally mounted on the seat substructure, is actuated in order to open at least one of the fittings. Since, in such an embodiment, the fitting which is not assigned to the free-pivoting action also has to be kept open during the free-pivoting movement of the back rest, the unlocking movement of the second operating element has to be transmitted continuously from a movable part (the back rest) to an immovable part (the seat substructure) without the magnitude of the operating stroke being changed or the force flux being disadvantageously influenced in the process. Very frequently, in order to meet this function, classic Bowden cables are arranged between the parts moving relative to one another, in order to transmit the stroke movement. In many applications, such connections completely satisfy the problem posed. Nevertheless, there are boundary conditions in which the use of Bowden cables is highly disadvantageous, and therefore there is a need for an actuating device which can transmit a stroke movement from a first part to a second part, which parts execute a pivoting movement with respect to each other.